We had an easy motor sail south from Normans Cay to Warderick Wells, an island in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. The park was established in 1958 and consists of over 110,000 acres of islands, cays and sea. As a preserve, they have strict rules prohibiting fishing, limiting anchoring and emphasizing leaving no trace behind. We saw sea turtles, birds, lots of fish, and even a couple of nurse sharks swimming right under the boat.
We moored in a breathtaking protected bay, an easy dinghy ride to the park office with access to many hiking trails. It was nice to spend a couple of days here, for we had time both to explore the park and relax on the boat. Anne still needs time to rest and ice her injuries.
Because many of the hikes included areas underwater at high tide, we had to watch the tides to figure out the times we could reach our destinations. Our charts do not include tide tables for every corner of the Bahamas, and the tidal swing currently is about 3 feet. Our hikes took us over reefs and through many mangroves.
Warderick Wells is home to the famous Boo Boo Hill, so named as legend has it that when a ship wrecked on a nearby reef, everyone on board was lost. The hill itself is the tallest point on the island, with panoramic views. It has become a tradition for sailors to leave a piece of driftwood with their boat name as an offering to King Neptune, to ask for fair winds and safe passage. We had fun excursioning in our dinghy to find just the right piece of wood, into which Jim then ground “Tilia 2025.” We hiked up Boo Boo Hill and left our offering.
